BT Group faces luxury of choice in mobile comeback

London

AS BT Group Plc seeks to return to the mobile-phone market, Britain's former telecommunications monopoly is encountering an unexpected bonus: the country's two biggest wireless providers are competing for its attention.

That could mean lower prices and more favourable terms for the London-based acquirer, said Stephane Beyazian, an analyst at Raymond James. BT may reach a decision to start exclusive talks with Telefonica SA - the owner of carrier O2 - or with Deutsche Telekom AG and Orange SA, which jointly control EE, as early as this weekend, people familiar with the matter said, asking not to be named because the deliberations are private.